“Only the eye of mystic transport
beholdeth the Divine Light;
only in an eternal moment
of absolute consciousness
doth the soul bathe
in its radiant glory;
only in a communion
of ecstatic rapture
doth it embrace
that beauteous lusture.
But the world at large
knows it not.”
(“Mysticism,” Volume One, L.R. Puri)

For eons the Masters of eternity have taught that all souls incarnating into the lower planes arrive here via the Audible Life Stream (the Tao or Word), a River of Sound and Light that flows through all the planes and universes of creation. They teach that this same Current of Energy also flows back again to the Creator in the eternal timeless abode. Following the spiritual principle that “as a man thinketh, so is he,” (Hebrew Book of Proverbs) or, “we become what we see and hear” (Bhagavad Gita) – we become what we focus our attention upon – they guide their students to meditate upon this God or Holy Spirit Power and become one with IT. As practitioners of this otherworldly form of meditation, called in India “Surat Shabd Yoga,” become one with the Audible Life Stream, they find themselves gradually beginning to ascend in spirit towards the spiritual region, the birthplace of all souls. By riding the Current of Sound and Light like a fish going upstream, the soul eventually goes back to its Point of Origin. This is the Cosmic Gospel – the story of the soul making its way through perceived worlds of time and duality or illusion, retracing its “steps” back to “Eden” again. The Masters teach that all souls will eventually return Home again; it’s just a matter of “time.” The prodigal sons and daughters will find their way back.

As the mystic Julian of Norwich put it: “All shall be well.”

Kabir says: “You have slept for millions of years. This morning, will you not wake?”

Said Yeshua: “I will give you what no eye has seen, what no ear has heard what no hand has touched, and what has never occurred to the human mind.” (Saying 17, Egyptian Gnostic Gospel of Thomas)

The Sound and Light of the Cosmic Christ

“Shabd” is an Eastern word for the Sound and Light of God, the “God-into-expression Power,” the Word or Life Stream that created all things “in the beginning.” This creative aspect of the Godhead spoke the universes and planes of creation into existence.

“In the beginning was the Word. What has come into being through Him was Life, Life that is the Light of humanity.” (from Gospel of John, Chapter One) Krishna playing a heavenly flute and the Celtic image of Christ playing his celestial harp are powerful symbols (one Eastern, the other Western) that illustrate Nada Brahma, that the universe was created by Divine Sound.

What’s really important to realize is that this “Ein Sof” or Divine Light of Life as well as the creative Sound are both still present, available to us right now. We can meditate upon this Divine Power and ascend in spirit back to the Supreme Soul. The same Light-Sound Current that powers the cosmos is also the Current that we follow in order to go back Home. This Divine Voice is calling out to all souls in the universe, summoning us to spiritual awakening, a classic theme of Saints and Mystics for ages upon ages.

According to the Masters, the function of a Shabda Yoga Master or Sant Sat Guru is to give their disciples the ability to see the Light of God, and the ability to hear the Divine Sound, activating their spiritual senses so they are able to begin their own personal exploration of the spiritual dimensions during meditation practice. “In the true terminology of the Saints or Masters, a blind person is defined, not as one who has no eyes, but as one whose inner Eye is closed. When they come to a Master and he gives them a sitting, the inner Eye is opened and they see the Light of God. Similarly, before going to a Master, a person is deaf. When the Master gives them a sitting, they begin to hear the Music of the Spheres and they become aware.” (Kirpal Singh)

The Saints describe the initiation process as like being reborn, or born spiritually into the spiritual domain. The initiate, with the ability to both see and hear spiritually, is now able to “rise above body-consciousness” and begin the process of discovering during meditation the various levels of the Kingdom of God that exist within. “Here is how we can find the Christ already within us. First enter the laboratory of the human body, the true temple of God, then rise above it until we leave all else behind and enter the Kingdom of God. There are so many mansions in the house of our Father; the macrocosm is in the microcosm of the human body, and consists of physical, astral, causal, and super-causal planes, and beyond all these are the pure spiritual planes, the true Home of our Father.” (“God Power, Christ Power, Master Power,” Kirpal Singh, Ruhani Satsang USA website)

Spiritual Practices in Surat Shabd Yoga Meditation

The first spiritual exercise of Shabd Yoga is called “Simran,” the repetition of Names of God. The word simran means “remembrance.” According to the Masters, these Names (revealed by the Master at the time of initiation) are to be repeated very, very slowly at intervals, mentally or “with the tongue of thought.” This practice of calling upon the Names of God helps to collect one’s attention at the “Single” or “Third Eye,” the Seat of the Soul. Normally our awareness is divided and scattered by the outward senses and we’re unable to see and hear with our spiritual senses. Practicing Simran during meditation makes it possible to make the transition from the world outside to the world that lies within.

The next stage of Shabd Yoga is Dhyan or contemplation of the inner Light, the development of the seeing-facility of the soul. As the process of repeating Mantra-Names of God continues, the Shabd Yoga practitioner reaches a degree of concentration at the Third Eye and begins to see spiritual Light. This Light may appear to be like sparks, fireflies or stars, lights of various colors, light like the moon or suns, white light, or the Radiant Form of the Master (Inner Guide). Each person's vision is unique, based on their level of attainment, karma, spiritual background, how much time and effort spent in meditation on a daily basis, and the amount of love and devotion one has for the Supreme Being, and desire to explore Inner Space.

In agreement with other mystical traditions, Shabd Yoga Masters in India view contemplation of the Divine Light as a way to experience union with God. We become what we see. If we contemplate the Light of God, we become one with God. By beholding the Light of God, souls are transformed in profound ways. “Once you discover this Light and learn to live by it, your whole existence will be changed. Love will permeate your very being and it will burst forth from the very pores of your body, transmuting all dross into sterling gold. Love, you must know, is both the means and the goal of life.” (Kirpal Singh)

The third stage of Shabd Yoga is Bhajan, the practice of spiritual hearing, listening for the Sound or Music of the heavens during meditation.

“The whole world is reverberating with Sound.

To listen to it thou must unseal thine inner ears,

then shalt thou hear an unending Music,

and that shall lead thee beyond the confines

of death.” (Shah Niaz, Sufi Master)

Masters of the Light and Sound instruct their initiates to concentrate on certain key spiritual sounds that emanate from higher planes, sounds that elevate the soul, pulling the soul up to the planes above. The Sound is the ultimate snake-charmer that calms the serpent-mind, making it possible for the soul to know itself, explore the heavens, and know God in Spirit and in Truth.

Seeing the Light of heaven in meditation might mean having a vision of a faint Light, perhaps a certain color, or colors, stars or pinpoints of Light. Eventually, more complex and detailed visions can be seen. From the Esoteric Teachings of Shiv Dayal Singh (Saint of Agra, India):

“When your eye turns inwards in the brain
and you see the firmament within,
and your spirit leaves your body and rises upwards,
you will see the Akash (ethereal sky).”

Some Final Poetic Thoughts

When darkness is no longer dark,
when the stillness of the night
gives birth to a faint celestial melody, know this:
one more soul is being summoned to awakening,
one more soul hears the Call,
one more soul ascends to the Place of Life.
We human beings are multidimensional;
our feet touch the ground, and yet,
our soul lives in the heavens,
whether we know it or not.
Meditation upon the Light and Sound
is about knowing.
Masters teach that by becoming one
with the Heavenly Sound and Light,
we can even now,
during this present lifetime,
see heaven as a real place.

James Bean reviews books and music for the Wisdom Radio Network and other stations via a syndicated radio program called Spiritual Awakening, and teaches Sant Mat Meditation and Surat Shabda Yoga.